Good afternoon! Today, I've got the second of my five war chapters for your reading pleasure. This time around, it's Shirley's turn. lick on the picture to read the chapter. If you have trouble with the embed, please feel free to download the chapter as a PDF. Comments can be left here or on the thread at Boolprop. I hope you enjoy.

[Spoiler (click to open)] So yeah this was great and really detailed. I love that Shirley worked the shipyards, it just made sense. And I felt for her and every other woman who was let go after the war. I mean, they did their part and were expected to just go back to knitting booties and baking cakes like their contribution meant nothing.

Sometimes I wish she and Roslaie got a long better but I that's just how it is with people. I mean, I have the benefit of seeing them both from a third person perspective and understanding them, they don't.

I liked the opportunity to see more of Shirley and Walt's relationship. I really got a chance to get to know they and how they interact with one another.

And while this was missing any real sense of danger it was still a nice look at time passing and a family coping while a loved one is far away, potentially never to return.

Shirley's wedding was beautiful and I really enjoyed having a chance to see her relate to her parents. The problem with spares is they sometimes remain slightly undeveloped or mysterious since the story isn't focused on them. These war chapters are opening up their worlds a great deal.

[Link to spoiler]I’m glad you noticed the details, because I like to hunt things down that make the story a little more grounded in reality. Shirley would totally have been a Rosie the Riveter; it suits her perfectly. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to just have your contribution swept under the rug like that when the war ended. But I knew that Shirley would lose her temper, and having her take it out on Silas was just gravy.

It would be nice if Shirley and Rosalie got along better, but how they see the world is just too different, and neither of them is willing to look at things from the other’s perspective. Maybe things will change, with a bit more maturity on both their parts, but I make no promises.

Shirley and Walt are pretty awesome. It’s quite the contrast between them and Bruce and Rosalie.

No, there wasn’t the same sense of danger that there was in Rosalie’s chapter, but you’re right in that it doesn’t mean that the toll of Walter and Howie being far away in harm’s way was any less.

Shirley’s wedding was fun to film, and a great way to end the chapter on a high note. I think it’s hard for me sometimes to decide who gets their time in the spotlight and who gets pushed to the side when it comes to the spares, so these interlude-y chapters are a nice way to let everyone else get to know the spares in the same way I do.

[Spoiler (click to open)]Is this the first time I'm commenting on the Bradfords? I can't remember. But I caught up a while ago and I am trying to be less terrible at leaving comments, so here you go.

Shirley is an awesome character to read about and I'm glad she found something to do that was right up her alley. It sucks that she was let go the way she was, even though I know that was something that happened, and I don't blame her a bit for reacting the way she did. But she got Walter back! I was so relieved when it turned out that he and Howie both came home in one piece. Reading about Clarence last update was gutting.

I'm really excited for the next installment! But dreading it a bit too. Not all the others are going to end as happily and I'm worried about the other boys.

[Link to spoiler]I think it might be your first time commenting, but I know you’ve been reading them. Glad to see you here!

Shirley is pretty awesome, and her being a Rosie the Riveter was too perfect. It really did suck that she got let go the way she was, but it was what happened, sadly. Of course she lost her temper, as she got that from her mother. But yes, Walter came home, and that made a lot of things better. I was glad that Shirley and the Alcotts got a happier ending than the Seiffs did. It was really had to write things from Clarence’ POV the last time around.

I’m excited to finally tell Nick & Alice’s story, and have everything out in the open.

[Spoiler (click to open)]Glad to have a war chapter with a happy ending! And I have to say I didn't recognize Erin underneath all that dirt!

Shirley seems like she's a ton of fun, and I don't see her being content with putting down her welding torch and picking up a stewpot. Not that she won't make a good wife and mother, but she'll miss the independence.

And of course, I'm happy that Walt and Howie made it home, and knowing that Nick is OK too!

If you need more extras, feel free to troll the Vetinari downloads. I have PLENTY of menfolk to choose from.

[Link to spoiler]It was nice to write a chapter with a happy ending! Erin was not impressed with her costume at all, let me tell you. Aside from her reaction at the mirror, she kept giving me the stink eye while filming.

Shirley is a ton of fun, and she is going to struggle a bit with being a wife and mother, definitely, after tasting what independence feels like. The women’s movement in the 1960s is going to be right up her alley.

I’m glad that Walt and Howie were able to come home as well. And after I wrote the Myshuno drabble where Nick patches up Walter after a brawl, I had to make it canon. I figured people would appreciate seeing a bit of him.

I may need a few more extras, so I will check out the Vetinari downloads. Thanks for offering.

[Spoiler (click to open)]Phew! It was nice to have that chapter end on a much happier note! That's for sure. Glad Walter and Howard made it home! As usual I was worried the whole time.

I think Shirley is one of my favorite members of this generation. I love how she flies in the face of tradition, what with her send off for Walter (I couldn't help but think how scandalized Rosalie would be) and then working in the ship yard. I'm glad she threw the lamp at her Uncle when he fired her! She's going to love the 60s isn't she? ;)

Oooh an imported bride for Howard! Can't wait to meet her in your next chapters. Loved the glimpse of Nick (and of Captain! Hi Captain! Hope he didn't go down with his ship...actually he's a Penguino. They are expert swimmers so I'm sure he was fine.)

Hmmm...Alice is extra stressed but then really excited when the war is over? You are giving me hope! Now I'm thinking she is stressed because Nick is severely injured and they don't know if he'll pull through, but then he does and he gets to come home! (Please be true...please be true...)

I loved it as always! I both can't wait for the next chapter, but simultaneously don't want to know...

[Link to spoiler]Trust me, it was nice to write a chapter that ended on a happier note! Shirley lucked out in having both the important men in her life make it home safe.

Shirley really is pretty awesome. She really doesn’t care about what’s expected of her, and really tries to do what she thinks is right, everyone else be damned. And yes, Rosalie would be HORRIFIED and lecture her to no end. From the get-go, I knew Shirley would be my Rosie the Riveter. It was even better that she had a temper and could take out her anger at getting let go on her Uncle. Yes, Shirley is going to adore the 60s. I can see her getting involved in the women’s movement.

Technically, Mrs. Howie is a downtownie, but since War Brides were something that happened so Jessica got that designation. Hopefully, I’ll be able to work her in a bit in the future. After the Myshuno drabble, I decided I needed to give people a glimpse of Nick. :D It’s fun to see people’s reactions to their Sims in their cameos. Captain was fine, he was just being a good captain and waiting for all his men to get off the ship before he did. And freaking out a little about losing his ship while he waited.

*zips lips* You gotta wait for the next chapter before I’ll comment on what’s going on with Alice.

I’m going to do my best to push and get the next chapter out soon. As much as I love this era, I also want to keep things moving forward.

[Commenty Time!]I hate to say it, but I was less worried immediately due to the lack of parents on the cover. Also due to Walter, you know, being in the police group, which we already knew from drabbles.

I'm glad Shirley and Walter have such a healthy relationship, even without the marriage before leaving. Out of curiosity, did you have her actually try for baby during that send-off?

Huh, I didn't think about Shirley having to go back to college all alone, but she would've, wouldn't she? What with Nick and Alice and Walter all graduated and Rosalie dropping out, and even the younger boys probably going straight to war rather than going to college...well, at least she did have Dotty.

I'm amused at how terrible the censors are at catching things this chapter. :P

It was nice to get glimpses of what some of the more distant cousins were doing, even though you're obviously not going to concentrate on them - I mean, to be completely honest, I probably couldn't pick Audrey or Nancy out of a crowd even now. But it let us see more of the war and women's experiences, so...nice to see it!

...I hate to admit I totally didn't recognize any of my own sims. I have to say, hair totally makes the sim, which is probably the only reason I recognized Alexandra, who is the only extra I've recognized so far...well, that and you used her name. No name, no hair, I get confused! :P

Shirley = totally awesome as a Rosie the Riveter type. :D

Also, it's nice to see Viola being the reasonable one. She's grown up quite a lot!

Definitely glad you included the Walter and Nick scene. :D

Aw, Walter, you totally don't have to feel bad about blood dripping on Shirley's picture. Yeah, it sucks, but it means you were carrying it everywhere with you, so, really, if I were her, I'd feel good about that and be more than willing to send a new one!

I'm glad Howie made it, even if he was injured! That's a lot easier to deal with than dead, after all.

The more I read, the more worried I get for Nick. :( I noticed you made Walter the first to come home, clearly so you could avoid saying if Nick came home or not, and if he did, what shape he was in.

Silas is rather an ass, isn't he? Between bribing the doctor about Clarence's "heart condition" and firing all the women...I'm glad Shirley threw the lamp at him. Go her!

Shirley must be an interesting character to dress, isn't she? Since in modern times she'd probably be a jeans-every-day sort of girl, but that wouldn't work during her time period.

Aw, ring! Yay! :D :D :D

Yay for Howie finding a girl! And hey, Viola can still throw them a party even if she couldn't see their wedding. :)

What Howie says, about the marines...it makes me wonder if you're going to cover Vietnam at all. Because if there was ever a war that fucked people up, that was it. Obviously, your boys won't have nearly the same level of involvement if they're involved at all - WWII drafted a much higher percentage of young men, after all, and it was much more patriotic to go fight for your country than it was 25 years later.

I'm glad Shirley and Howie are getting along, though! It's a marked contrast to Rosalie and Gilbert, who...well, they loved each other, but no one gets along with Rosalie.

Well, I figured out that putting someone on the cover sobbing would probably be a dead giveaway to something going wrong, so I decided to keep the fairly neutral from here on out. But yeah, Walter was a bit safer than some of the others. Shirley and Walter do have a solid relationship, and to be honest if they lived in more modern times I’m not even sure I’d bother to get them married. I did not have her try for baby during the send off, because I’m a little more lax with the rules in the spare households. Besides, with Alice having Steven while Nick is a way, I figured I’d be able to cover the mother raising a child while dad’s away at war without having to put Shirley in the middle of a scandal.

Yeah, with Alice graduated and Rosalie married, Shirley spent her senior year of college pretty much solo. She and Dotty didn’t get close, as Dotty already had her own circle of friends, but I’m sure they did a few things together.

LOL, yeah, the censors aren’t always on top of things. Of course, that’s me taking some creative license, as there’s certain info that I need to get out.

*nods* Even though the distant cousins don’t feature, they worked nicely for filling in a few of the things that women did during the war that I wasn’t going to be able to get to. To be honest, I can’t keep track of all the spares sometimes and I mix their names up, so it was probably good to plop them into the story so I can refresh my own memory.

I tried to keep the hair the same or close, but yeah, the hair really does make the Sim. Since they’re (mostly) extras, they’ll remain nameless except for a few that I’ve called upon for larger roles.

Shirley is a perfect Rosie the Riveter. I knew that she would be the one filling that role even before I had the war chapters as separate chapters.

Heh, Viola has done a lot of growing up, but as she said, she and Shirley are a lot alike so she knows how to handle her daughter.

The Nick & Walter scene was great to include.

Well, Walter knows that Shirley has a temper, so I think he phrased it the way he did because of that. But yeah, Shirley wouldn’t care if she had to send more pictures. At all.

I’m glad Howie made it home too. Shirley certainly lucked in out in that her brother and her boyfriend both made it home in once piece.

:( As I’ve said, I’m being deliberately vague about Nick. And yes, I had Walter come home first, and framed pictures the way I did so that I can keep Nick’s fate a secret until the next chapter.

Silas is a total ass. I wrote him that way mostly because he threw me a LTW that I wasn’t going to do for a spare (6 pets topping their career? No way, buddy), and also because I needed a bad guy. Shirley should have thrown a lot more than a lamp at him, in my opinion. :P

Shirley is a pain to dress, because she’d wear jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers all the time. And her hair would either be short or in a ponytail all the time because she couldn’t be bothered with it. I’m not completely happy with what I’ve got her in now, but I’ve yet to find something that suits her better. I may have to make something for her with my limited clothing making skills.

Yes, ring! :D Walter finally pulled his head out of his ass.

Yup, Howie brought a girl home with him. And Viola is totally going to throw a party for him and Jessica once things get back to being closer to normal.

I’m kind of undecided as to if/how I’ll cover Vietnam at all, but you’re right about how it really messed people up. I really haven’t thought ahead to that point, other than I’ll probably have someone(s) involved in the peace movement. But I figure I’ve got to get generation 8 to at least young adulthood before I deal with that.

Shirley and Howie are not necessarily close, but they do get along. And no, no one gets along with Rosalie. Except maybe Bruce.

Wedding indeed! :D :D

I’d really like to get Nick & Alice’s chapter out before the end of this month. Then I just have to film Dotty’s and write and film Danny’s and I can get this legacy back on the move.

[Spoiler (click to open)]Love the fact that Shirley gets to work in the shipyard because it suits her tomboyish nature. She does look like Rosie the Riveter incarnate.

That was quite a relief that Howie survived the attack that sank his ship. Even though he didn’t get put on the front lines as a result of the injury he sustained, at least he contributed to the war effort by decoding messages.

I’m glad Shirley and Rosalie still cared for each other despite their quarrels. In fact, I was really touched when Shirley comforted Rosalie when they heard of Gilbert’s death.

Man, Silas is one mean jerk, isn’t he? Well, I know that women who contributed to the war effort were told to go back to their traditional roles once the war’s over. But that still doesn’t change my mind over him, considering his role in Part 1 as well. The scene where Shirley threw the lamp at him was oddly satisfying, though. :P

Aww, it’s so sweet of Walter to buy an engagement ring to Shirley before reuniting with her! Even more so when Howie came back and found himself a bride. Glad the ending turned out really well for all three of them.

[Link to spoiler]Shirley was absolutely perfect for my Rosie the Riveter. If she lived in the present day, she would totally do a job that was traditionally male like firefighting or construction and LOVE it.

It was nice to be able to write a happier ending for Howie than Gilbert got. And he stayed overseas because I didn’t want to bring him home from college just yet in game play, so that’s why he ended up with the intelligence assignment.

Yeah, even though Shirley and Rosalie don’t always get along, they are there for each other in times of need. They are extended family after all.

Yup, Silas is the jerk/villain of this generation. It’s sad that women’s contribution was disregarded so quickly and that they were expected to be happy about just going back to their traditional roles. It was quite nice to have Shirley throw that lamp at him; he certainly deserved it.

The cynic in me says that Walter knew if he didn’t come back with an engagement ring for Shirley, there’d be hell to pay. But it was sweet that he didn’t make her wait long at all. Yup, with all the weddings, the Alcotts are a happy clan right now.

Thank you! Nick & Alice’s chapter is progressing nicely. Hopefully, it’ll be done before the end of the month.